Burdens
by Buri of La La Land
Summary: OCxSasuke In the beginning, 16-year-old Akane Mirasaki couldn't have wished for a better life. Until one day her life took a unexpected turn, leaving her and her best friend Rei no choice but to start over in a new town. That also includes a new school.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Okay, first of all, I know what you're thinking. "She made an OC just so she could put her with Sasuke?!" Well that's not true. And it's not why I decided to create my OC. Akane was created for a Naruto fanfiction me and my good friend Rei are writing (I'm thinking about submitting it here, but it's gonna take a LONG TIME to edit that thing...it's way too long). We were both pretty into Naruto at the time, and we both liked to write stories. So we were bored one day in class and decided we should write a joint fanfiction about some made up Naruto characters...that's where Akane came in. I suppose I should tell you about Akane and her past...That way you will be able to understand why she does some of the things she does.

**START, CHAPTER ZERO: PROLOGUE**

(The real story doesn't start until the next chapter...Sorry guys! shot What? I've got a lot to explain!)

Akane Mirasaki was originally from the Sand Village. Until one fateful day, she was seperated from all she loved most: Her family, and her home. The attack on that day left a lot of people homeless. Thankfully the damage wasn't critical and it could be repaired quickly. Akane found herself living with her best friend Rei for quite a long time. This made a very large impact on Akane. She was only 6 or 7 years old. Maybe younger. As she got older, and started to attend the Sand Village Ninja Academy, she realized something about her had changed; she didn't feel the same way as she did when the incident had happened. It was as if her memory had been **erased.**

Akane and Rei graduated from the Academy like all their sensei's said they would from the very beginning. Indeed, they were highly skilled at such an age. Possibly feared by some of their classmates. Akane was always quiet when it came to school; she rarely participated, but when she was called on to answer a question, she would answer it willingly, and correctly. Akane was shy and timid, but she was very intelligent and she had a lot of stamina. She was one of the top students. A lot of students thought she was creepy because she had red eyes and very pale skin. (She's not albino!) Maybe they were just jealous...she was a top student, after all.

One day, Akane and Rei were called to a very high-ranked mission, not very common for the ninja class they were. They accepted the mission with hesitation. Akane knew something bad was going to happen. And something did. While they were running to their destination, they had the feeling they were being followed. Akane was always good with that sort of thing. So they decided to take a different route to throw off their persuers: To an isolated place that was very far away from where they needed to be. Feeling stuck, they decided to go back and retrace their footsteps. With all this running, Akane was getting tired. She found it very hard to focus on the tree branches, even though it was so natural to her that she could almost do it with her eyes closed. Her eyes lowered a bit and she lost the rythm. Her foot hit the branch she found hard to focus on and she fell forward with a wince. Rei tended to her ankle in the forest below...but now they really had no idea where they where. This area was a lot darker than the previous one. Akane was in pain. Rei was starting to regret accepting the mission in the first place.

At this moment they knew they were being followed. A man approached them; at first his appearance was strange. But as soon as words escaped his mouth, Rei knew they were in trouble.

Orochimaru, the enemy of many villages, was standing right before their eyes, gazing down at Akane in such a defenseless state. She was conscious but she could barely register what was happening.  
"Ahh...such a pretty face," he laughed. "It kills me to see you in such a way, my darling."

"Get away from her!" Rei shouted, grabbing her friend's hand and getting away from him.

He laughed even harder. "You won't go very far! You see the look on her face, don't you? She's completley exhausted!"

Rei couldn't let Orochimaru get close to Akane. She had known about his interest in her abilities, but she didn't think he would actually confront them in such a way. Eventually, she had distanced herself and Akane from Orochimaru, but this didn't stop his efforts. He was persistent; he would do what he had to do to get his way. Unfortunatley it was always easy for him.

Rei hadn't noticed, but he was nowhere to be seen. She looked everywhere and she couldn't find him. "Great..." she muttered. Suddenly, Rei heard something from behind them and she discovered it was too late to do anything about it. Orochimaru had his teeth in Akane's flesh; Akane was now aware of her surroundings. She tried her best to get away, but couldn't. Her ankle gave out and she fell to her knees, coughing and holding the spot where Orochimaru had bitten her. On the right side of her upper neck was a symbol; a curse mark. She had heard about them but had never really understood what they were. Her eyesight went blank and she hit the ground with a rough thud.

Orochimaru cackled with pleasure and slinked away into the darkness. "I'll see you again soon, Akane..."

Rei ran to Akane, checked if her pulse was still good, and cried at the result. They were lost, Akane was on the verge of death, and now, Orochimaru was pursuing them. All seemed hopeless at that point. They hadn't even reached their destination. Rei felt horrible. But just then, she heard a voice; it was familiar. She looked everywhere and couldn't find the person. All was clear when several Jounins appeared before her eyes. She was completley confused as to why they appeared at that very moment when she felt all that she had done was a failure.

"Is she alright?" one of them said. Rei was silent and shrugged her shoulders. They looked at one another. "Send the medical team, ASAP!"

"Y-Yes sir!" another replied.

"Lord Kazekage told us all about it. You don't have to worry about the mission. Some of our other Jounins took care of it."

Rei sighed with relief. All she wanted to know now was if Akane would survive.  
"Wait a minute," he said nervously. "What is that on her neck?"

Rei found herself speechless again. "I-I think they're called...um...curse marks?" she said weakly.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. When the medical team gets here they should be able to explain everything. More importantly..." he shifted his gaze from Akane to Rei. "Are you alright?"  
"U-Um...yes, I'm fine. But my friend Akane here lost focus on a treebranch while we were heading to our mission and broke her ankle." Rei looked at her sleeping friend with sorrow and worry. "I tried to heal it as best I could, but unfortunately I'm not very skilled in that sort of area..."

"It's alright. At least you tried," he smiled slightly.

"Yeah..."

Soon, the medical team arrived.

"Can you explain to me how she recieved such a curse mark?" he asked.

Rei flinched, realizing she had been asked a question. "Um...it's kind of hard to believe, but...Orochimaru showed up after Akane had broken her ankle. We both had the feeling we were being followed, so we changed our course of direction, but then we were completley lost. We tried to retrace our footsteps but all we ended up doing was going farther away from where we needed to be."

Everyone had concerned looks about their faces. "Orochimaru, you say? Hmm..." he examined the bite mark with intense thought. "We shouldn't let her lye here for much longer. We need to get her to the hospital as fast as we can, or she may not survive." Rei was prepared for anything now.

(Wow. This is getting almost too long! D: I didn't plan this out beforehand, you know. I'm making it up as I go along uneasy laugh I'm not going to go into perfect detail about this last part because my eyes are tired from staring at a computer screen for so long! Dx)  
Okay. So Akane gets bitten by Orochimaru...almost like a vampire! (has been reading too much Vampire Knight LOL) And she gets a curse mark, kinda like Sasuke... shot The reason why Orochimaru is persuing Akane so intensely is because she has a very rare demon inside of her, and Orochimaru seeks that power. Akane's brother, Ryuu, also possesses the demon. He was actually like a test subject for Orochimaru when he had first discovered the demon and its full potential. I still don't know what it will be called, but basically the demon is like a second half. It can control your emotions, and it plays with the host's heart like a toy. It can be activated by sheer rage. Once activated, the host almost co-exists. Slowly, they start to lose their sense of being the longer the demon stays activated. If the host fails to regain conciousness, it's game over. They simply vanish and never come back. Of course, one must train to control their emotions. Alright...my back hurts...and I think you get the idea. Oh yeeah, I forgot to mention that Rei and Akane transferred to Konoha because of Orochimaru stalking them. But unfortunately, the insanity does not cease to exist. Poor Akane...

Chapter One will be coming soon I just have to type it all out. painful sigh Hope you liked the prologue though! :3

**END, CHAPTER ZERO: PROLOGUE.**


	2. The Loss and the Gain

**Title:** Burdens

**Pairing: **OC(Akane)xSasuke

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** In the beginning, 16-year-old Akane Mirasaki couldn't have wished for a better life. Until one day her life took an unexpected turn, leaving her and her best friend Rei no choice but to start over in a new town. That also includes a new school.

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own any part of Sasuke Uchiha. **He is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, as well as any other Naruto characters that may show up in this story. (I think one of them is Sakura.) However, there is one thing I do own and that is my original character Akane Mirasaki. NO ONE CAN HAVE HER! -rawr-

**START, CHAPTER 1: THE LOSS AND THE GAIN**

Akane Mirasaki. Age: 16, Sophomore at Azumono High School. Average student; her best subjects involve Art, English, Social Studies, and music related classes. Her worst subjects are Math and Science related classes. Her story begins as a transfer student from a region of Japan that is highly unheard of and often forgotten. But _she_ is not supposedly unheard of. Before, she was one of the most popular girls in her school. But now she was starting from scratch; she had to sacrifice all the hard work she had done to get that far...and start all over.

Akane woke up hearing thunder. It was the first day of school. She stayed in bed until finally her roommate Rei shook her violently.

"Get up!!" she screamed. "I don't care how tired you are. I don't enjoy this either."

Akane growled. "Damnit..." she got up, frustrated. "Why the hell am I here, anyway?" she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"You forget too easily..." Rei sighed. "Remember the fire at our old apartment?"

Akane yawned. "Hmm...I don't remember any fire..."

"Akane, it happened not too long ago! We left the apartment to go to school and when we came back, it was on fire."

Akane's pupils dialated. She remembered now: The orange, the red...the sound of the firetrucks' sirens blaring in her ears; the tears and sacrifices...the loss of money...Her expression softened. She knew it couldn't be helped. The only thing she wanted to get out of the room was her mother's picture, but it was too late. The firefighters pushed her away no matter how hard she tried to get in.

Rei glared at her suspiciously. "Anyway, you'd better get ready. We've got less than 30 minutes before the bus gets here and that's not counting traffic!"

"Alright, alright," she sighed.

Going to school was never one of Akane's favorite things. Sure, she liked seeing her friends...but really, all she had now was Rei. She was literally starting from scratch. She didn't really know if she would get many friends, on account of her red eyes. They always seemed to frighten people, scare them away. But others were drawn to them. Others accepted the fact that she was different. Other people wanted to be her friend. Akane knew how to choose the right friends just fine. The problem is, she didn't know if other people knew how.

They approached the bus stop calmly, standing under their umbrellas. They were early. It was cold.

"Maybe we should wait inside..." Akane said nervously, rubbing her arm for warmth.

"It'll be here soon. Just be patient." Rei was angry. Both of them were shaking; they were cold...And in school uniforms. The ones with the **skirts**.

It seemed like hours before the bus finally showed up and came to a stop. The door opened with an agonizing creak, letting students in. They shook their umbrellas and stepped inside. All eyes stared at them, followed them closely. Akane was looking around, trying to find a seat...and there, she saw, at the back of the bus...a stare that no one else on the bus could compare.

"Akane, what's wrong?" Rei asked her very still friend.

"I...I don't know. I can't find a seat," she lied.

"Well find one quick, we're running late," the bus driver snapped.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," Akane apologized.

The only seat they could find was close to the back; close to "him". From where they were sitting, he could see them almost perfectly. He wasn't the only one looking. A girl with pink hair was sitting next to him, looking over the two new girls carefully.

A girl sitting in his area was looking carefully as well. She looked mad.

"That seat is reserved for someone you know," she sneered.

Rei frowned. "I'm sorry. But it's kind of too late now," she said apologetically.

She glared at her. "Whatever. Just remember that there's places where you can and can't sit," she smiled evily. She paused and decided to comment on Rei's appearance. "Nice hair," she giggled.

Rei's eyes lowered. "Thanks. (I guess...)"

Meanwhile, Akane stayed silent. She knew she was still being stared at. And by the same person too.

The pink-haired girl poked the boy next to her. "Sasuke, what are you staring at?" she asked, worried.

He didn't respond. "Sasuke?"

"What?"

She sighed. "Nevermind. You're obviously not paying attention to me anyway."

Sasuke ignored her.

"So...his name is Sasuke?" Akane thought. "He sounds like such an interesting person...and he's cute, to boot."

Rei rolled her eyes. She knew Akane was thinking about "that guy". She knew Sasuke because she had met him in town once: It was a Saturday and Rei was doing some errands. She was grocery shopping and needed to go to the marketplace for fresh produce. She was looking for some tomatoes. Sasuke just happend to be there, right next to her. She didn't know though. They both reached out to grab a tomato but crashed into each others' hands, causing almost all of the tomatoes to tumble out of the stand. They were taken aback a few steps and Rei apologized to Sasuke and the shopkeeper. Rei stood there, hoping he would help clean up, but instead he casually walked off. Rei was left to pick up the rest of the tomatoes off the ground, all thanks to him. Rei sighed, watching the rain splatter all across the window she was sitting by.

The bus stopped; they had finally arrived at the school. It was like hell trying to get out of there, but at least they were close to the back where there were less people.

Akane and Rei stood up, gathering their things, ready to head down the isle when suddenly the snobby girl from before got in front of them with an obnocious "Excuse me!" Rei glared at her; those two would probably be at it for a while. Sasuke and the pink-haired girl were soon to follow. Akane watched Sasuke from the back so he wouldn't know she was staring.

"Akane, we're gonna be late!!" Rei pushed her, knocking her senses back into place.

"R-Right..." she breathed.

"What's wrong with you today? You seem kinda spacey," Rei said as they slowly walked down the isle.

"I don't know..." Akane replied.

Akane and Rei went straight to the office to get their schedules.Akane skimmed hers...it looked right.

"So? Did you get any classes with me?" Rei asked.

"Uh...Well..." Akane looked over both of them carefully. "Let's see...We've got Math and Science together...Oh and Lunch too..." Rei was silent. "...How are we gonna find our way around here?"

Rei straightened up. "Um, ask people? It's not that hard, Akane," Rei laughed. "C'mon, we have first period together."

"R-Right."

**END, CHAPTER 1: THE LOSS AND THE GAIN.**

**Author's note:** Well, I hope you liked Chapter 1! It took a while since I had to edit some stuff...and I was looking off of a sheet of lined school paper...while my fan is on...so it's difficult to type and look at something at the same time. Very time consuming! And don't worry, I know it's kind of boring now, but isn't that what the first day of school is like? :3 It will get interesting once they go to their classes, trust me. I have plaaaannnss... -rubs hands together evily- MWUAHAHAHA!!

Please R&R!


	3. Unfamiliar Feelings

**Title: **Burdens

**Pairing: **OC(Akane)xSasuke

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **In the beginning, 16-year-old Akane Mirasaki couldn't have wished for a better life. Until one day her life took an unexpected turn, leaving her and her best friend Rei no choice but to start over in a new town. That also includes a new school.

**Disclaimer: **As always, I do not own any characters from the anime/manga series Naruto. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. However, I do own my OC. She is by all means and purposes copyrighted by ME, and you can't deny it no matter how much you love her. Sorry guys. That's just the way it works. ;)

**START, CHAPTER 2: UNFAMILIAR FEELINGS**

--First Period--

Math

Walking through the halls side-by-side, Rei and Akane recieved some nasty vibes. Akane wondered: _Are __all__ the new kids treated with such distaste? _The school they were now attending was a little more high class than Akane and Rei would've liked. Meaning: there are rich kids, spoiled kids, and just plain evil kids. Akane was ready to get her dose of all of those if she had to. Rei could fend for herself, Akane knew. As long as she didn't get into any fights, Akane had no reason to worry about her slightly tempermental friend.

They were almost late trying to find their classroom. Seeming unusually lucky, the bell rang just as they entered the room. And the right room. They were told to sit wherever they pleased. It was a big classroom; again, very foreign to Akane and Rei. Finding an empty seat was nearly an impossible task. Luckily there was two seats right in the middle where Akane and Rei could easily sit next to each other. Getting there was the problem. Some of the trouble makers where sitting in front, who allegedly stuck their legs out in attempts to trip the new girls, chuckling as they did so. Akane was unfortunately too smart for them, and stepped over their legs with ease, trying not to let her anger show. "_What idiots_," she thought.

First period was Math. And Akane **hated** Math. Even loathed it. She really didn't understand it sometimes. And it was just too much for her brain to handle, along with all the other tough subjects. She sighed, doodling in her new notebook, almost wasting it. Rei was a little bit smarter when it came to Math, so she was paying attention. It didn't take long for Akane to finally rest her head and maybe get some sleep. Rei noticed this and decided to warn her sleepy friend before consequences were soon hard to pay.

"Hey, Akane," Rei whispered, trying to to disrupt the class. "You're not seriously thinking of falling asleep, are you?"

Akane lifted her head sleepily and rested her cheek on her hand. "It's just so boring..."

Rei smiled. "Not if you try to understand it. Are you forgetting to try, or are you just not trying?"

Akane hated smart-assed comments like these, especially coming from Rei. "Okay, just shut up. Before we get in trouble."

Rei knew that was probably not the best thing to say. She knew her friend was irritable when woken up from wanted sleep or prevented from getting any. She was trying to help boost Akane's confidence and, perhaps, even make her pay attention. Akane was very smart. She just had times where she wanted to be smart, and now was not one of those times.

Homework was assigned. Akane had absolutely no idea how to do it. She felt the need to ask Rei about it, since she had listened to the whole lesson. And she took notes. Avid, descriptive notes with examples. She even made up her own equations which were correct and implemented them in solving problems. She really was good at Math.

Rei expected the poke of Akane's pencil on her arm, but did nothing to stop it. As she was working she said quietly, "What is it, Akane?" in a rather annoyed tone.

"Well...I was going to ask you if I could borrow your notes...but since you're not being very nice..." Akane pouted childishly.

"What's with that response? Aren't you the one who didn't pay attention in class?" she laughed.

Akane was silent. If there was any way she could get those notes it was to beg and plead. She felt very stupid and among all these people she felt like they were all staring at her, pointing their fingers at her and laughing. She could have payed attention, but self-control failed her at this point. The lesson was over and there was nothing she could do about it. Except for getting her hands on those notes Rei had so effortlessly put together. And how she wanted those notes.

Rei laughed. "I'm kidding. Here, I think you need it the most. But in return you have to promise me you'll start paying attention in class. You can't break a promise, Akane!" Rei said playfully, pulling away the notebook as Akane tried to reach for it.

Akane sighed, with an annoyed expression on her face. "What makes you think I'll compromise? I mean, come on. Just this one time using notes will really make me pay attention? I think we need to stretch the bet a little further, wouldn't you say?"

Rei was stunned by Akane's sudden change of character. She really had to offer something greater, just to get Akane to pay attention in class? Maybe Akane really did want to change. "Alright. I'll take you up on that offer. In return I'll teach you how to create notes like these. It's rather simple, actually..."

Akane's brow twitched. Here she was, rambling on and on about equations, the order of operations, and all that stuff Akane really didn't want to hear. "Please, stop...you're giving me a freaking migrane."

Rei chuckled. "My bad...umm...I suppose you can't start taking notes like these until you've really grasped the concepts of the equations...and I know you haven't grasped them yet. Like I said, just start paying attention. It won't just come to you naturally. It takes time, Akane!"

Akane rubbed her temples. She was frustrated with it all. She really wanted to understand this subject. She loved the feeling she got when she understood a concept of Math. It made her feel really happy inside, and accomplished. But when she keeps learning all this new stuff, she can't keep up and she often forgets some concepts that were once easy to understand. "Whatever you say...you're the expert," she shook her head doubtingly. "I pray the day comes soon when I understand all this crap..." Akane grumbled while scanning over the notes. "Argh! What the hell is it supposed to mean?! It's just a bunch of numbers and letters!"

Rei chuckled uneasily when some glances were passed. Annoyed glances. She even heard someone tell Akane to "Shut up, we can hear you all the way up here!" profusively. Hopefully it was just a first day thing. Over time they would learn to like the two seemingly displaced girls...or maybe they will do exactly the opposite: Hate their guts.

The bell rang; finally, first period was over! Akane let out a deep sigh once they exited the classroom. Akane wouldn't look forward going in there every single morning for a whole semester. She reminded herself that without Rei in that class, she wouldn't survive, and most likely, fail. Or maybe she was just being far too hard on herself?

Akane finally realized they would have to be away from each other for half of the day. That is until lunch time. She didn't know if she would survive that long without her best friend's advice and knowledge about the real world. Akane was shy, so Rei was a good person to have around when faced with the ugliness of reality.

Akane put her new books into her locker, and closed it with ease. There were other people around her, getting their things exactly the same way she was. It seemed to be normal in an aspect without judgement and hatred. A guy walked up to the locker next to hers as Akane was checking her schedule for the room number of the next class. He just happened to notice her peer up and look around, seeing her red eyes. It frightened him so intensely that he jumped and caused the books and things he was holding to collapse. Akane heard the sound which startled her, and offered to help pick some of the papers up from the floor. He replied coldly, "A freak like you, help me? Don't make me laugh. Stay out of my sight." He slammed his locker shut, leaving Akane speechless and utterly hurt inside.

--Second Period--

Art

Art. Akane was very happy with her placement in an Art class. She could express herself in ways without having to say anything. And people wouldn't judge her for it. Akane decided this would probably be the class she liked the most; after all, the teacher was very nice and she was the first one to compliment her on her eyes, not reject her because of them.

When she walked in the room, a wind seemed to come and pass. This caught the attention of nearly every being in the classroom. All eyes turned towards the girl in the doorway; gave her the same look that almost everyone had that morning. The same dirty, unwelcoming glare. How she hated that glare.

"Ah, you must be the new student!" the teacher exclaimed, walking over to her. "I must say welcome to this school and I hope you enjoy every passing day." She was very enthusiastic, to put it simply. Akane wasn't sure she liked that. Her nerves weren't meant to be tested. "Akane Mirasaki, was it?"  
"Yes, that's me," Akane smiled uneasily.

"Good. Feel free to sit anywhere you'd like."

Akane looked about the even larger classroom that was especially foriegn to her, even though she had been in a large one previously. This was most likely an advanced art class. A lot of the students looked like her type of people, but then again there were people who were far from her comfort zone...the ones that were constantly talking, to be precise.

She found herself seated next to a girl much like her; her hair was a dark blue and her eyes were quite the unique. She was startled to find someone sitting next to her so willingly and nervously introduced herself. "U-Umm...h-hello there," she squeaked. Akane was kind of amused by her behavior. Meeting someone even more shy than herself was actually a good thing. She could teach her to be more outgoing. "M-My name is Hinata...nice to meet you," she offered her hand with a small grin developing on her face. She seemed very friendly, but way too shy for words. Literally.

"Nice to meet you, Hinata," Akane smiled. "My name is Akane, as you might have heard."

"Y-Yes...umm..." she muttered, pushing her index fingers together.

"_She must be intimidated by my eyes...I hope it's not like this with everyone..._" Akane thought.

The conversation was broken when a guy sitting close to Akane "whispered" rather loudly, "Oh my god! Look at her eyes! They're so cool!"

"Then why don't you tell her that?" the person sitting next to him said, kind of annoyed by their apparent friends' fangirl-ish behavior.

"I...I can't...I'll make a fool of myself," he replied weakly. Akane decided to take the opportunity to talk to someone; after all she needed to work on her social skills.

"So, you think they're cool?" Akane replied smartly, looking the guy straight in the eye. He blushed and looked down.

"Come on, they're probably not even real. Have you ever heard of contacts?" his pessimistic friend said.

"Nope. They're completely natural," Akane demonstrated by touching her eye, showing now signs of contacts. He squirmed a little at the fact that she just touched her eyeball to prove a point. It _was_ kind of disturbing...

"Grrr...well...what if you're albino? Don't they have red eyes?"

Akane's spine shivered. She didn't like people calling her albino. Because she wasn't. It was a long story just describing how she got them, and even she herself wasn't sure about it. And for people to just assume her albino was cruel, but telling them every single time was pain she didn't want to experience.

"Call me that _**ONE**_ more time...!!" Akane growled, getting out of her seat to grab the little brat by his tie. Hinata was watching the conversation roll out. But now it was getting a little too violent, so she decided to be the peacemaker and stop her new friend from any violence.

"Please stop fighting!" she cried, almost in pain. But it stopped Akane from her worst, putting her back in her seat with legs crossed, eyes closed, and arms folded. She looked highly annoyed.

"Little brat..." she murmured. "The next time you...No, the next time ANYONE calls me albino, they're in for it!"

He gulped.

The rest of class was a bit awkward for those two boys. Every time Akane would walk past them, she would glare at them hotly. The boy who had first noticed Akane's red eyes still admired her, even though she wasn't just glaring at the one who called her albino. He had a crush on her. Big time.

**END, CHAPTER 2: UNFAMILIAR FEELINGS.**

**Author's note: **Weeeell, what did you think? Was it good? Oh, cause I really hope it was...I think I've been in writer's block for so long that my only inspiration seems to come from watching too many movies D: But I guess that's not such a bad thing, because movies are a very fun experience. They inspire me and the way some of them are just so brilliant stuns me, and makes me want to keep trying and striving to improve in my writing. Although...that's basically just dialogue...and I'm good with that...describing things, well...not so much. -shot-

For once I'm not actually making stuff up as I go along...uh...scratch that. I actually have a reason for writing this story...Akane is kind of like me, and strangely some things have happened in my life that are similar to those things that Akane experiences...it's freaky, but I think I like it. I would refrain from telling about those things simply because it's personal stuff... ; But let's just say things that happen in this story will come from very surprising things that have happened in my first year of high school (Yes, the first!). Although Akane is a transfer student and she starts off as a Sophomore...and she's 16..well that's not the point! -sigh- Keep reading, it will get good as the day progresses. :3

I've also taken the classes from my first semester (well most of them) and integrated them into this story! For example: First semester, the day went like this:

1st period: Math (technically it was Pre-Algebra, but who's asking? - A -)

2nd period: Art 1

Homeroom (which is gay as hell! I had homeroom in the same class as 2nd period. Pretty awesome. I didn't have to go anywhere! x3)

3rd period: (This is the only one that's different from the story) World Geography (I plan on making the science more like a biology class...i should have wrote biology instead oo)  
Close to the middle of 3rd I go to lunch

4th period: English (Holy crap, I hate this class! The teacher is insane! I'm gonna be using this in the story too. Just because making Akane really mad is OMG SO FUN XD)

Please R&R! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Secret Smile

**Title:** Burdens

**Pairing:** OC(Akane)xSasuke

**Rating:** T

**Summary:** In the beginning, 16-year-old Akane Mirasaki couldn't have wished for a better life. Until one day her life took an unexpected turn, leaving her and her best friend Rei no choice but to start over in a new town. That also includes a new school.

**Disclaimer:** As always, I do not own any characters from the anime/manga series Naruto. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. However, I do own my OC. She is by all means and purposes copyrighted by ME, and you can't deny it no matter how much you love her. Sorry guys. That's just the way it works. ;)

**START, CHAPTER 4: SECRET SMILE**

-- 3rd period --

Biology 1

Akane walked out of there as fast as she could, weaving like a snake through the crowd of people. And she did this with speed. She wanted to make sure she could find her class before running the risk of being late. Not for the third time today.

She soon realized the Science area was outside. How she got outside was the problem. This building was huge, and because of that Akane found it almost impossible to make it in to her classes within the 8 minute interval. Akane looked around, thinking of asking someone for directions but found herself too shy and insecure to do so.

It took her quite a while to notice the figure standing behind her, waiting for a response. He tapped her on her shoulder lightly, still causing her to jump.

"Hey there," he laughed playfully.

Akane frowned. Should she say 'Hey' back?

"Looks like you need some help there. Where do you need to go?" he peered over at the schedule and map she was holding in her hand.

There. Something she could answer. "I need to get outside, by the Science pod."

"Really? Fancy that. I have a class in the Science pod next period too," he smiled, winking. Akane's shoulders dropped. "_I hope this guy doesn't hang around me all day..."_

His expression settled and he was looking over Akane carefully, rushing through the good parts. But mainly, he was focused on her eyes. Just like everyone else.

Akane now realized what was going on. She held onto her books tighter. "Ahem."

"Oh, heh sorry," he mumbled, scratching his head foolishly. "Where was it again...?"

"Science pod."

"Right.... Hey, don't worry. I know this place well," he smiled again, but wider.

"I'm sure you do," was all Akane had to say. His eased and relaxed posture was stiffened; he knew where he was treading and it was too dangerous to continue on that path. Without saying anything, he walked in front of her, expecting her to follow. Akane glared at him angrily but knew she would be lost without his assistance. She sighed and made a quick run through the crowd to keep up with him.

He noticed Akane's walking speed. It brought a smile to his face. "Hey, you know we still have a lot of time. There's no reason for you to be walking as fast as you are," he laughed.

Akane frowned. "Thanks for keying me in on that," she sneered while rolling her eyes. This guy was really making her mad. And he didn't even have to try.

"Heh... You're welcome. You know, you haven't told me your name yet," he said, still smiling. His overall appearance wasn't bad, but his attitude was terrible compared to it. If only he was as good as he looked, then Akane might actually enjoy his presence.

"_What if I don't _**want**_ to tell you?!_" Akane thought angrily. She sighed. "No, I haven't." she waited for him to open the door for her, which she didn't like very much. If she wasn't holding those books she could have opened the door herself. She stood there, glaring at him for a moment. "And it's Akane." She walked off without him.

"Akane, huh? I can see why with such beautiful, red eyes..." he smiled, trying to catch a glimpse of her emberassed face. Akane was beyond disturbed at what had been said. Sure they were eye-catching, but did he really have to phrase it so.... so _seductively_? Akane had no trouble with letting herself blush. After all, he was pretty attractive. He chuckled and kept on smiling.

To Akane's relief, they had found her class with success, and amazingly, with 2 minutes to spare. She walked in stiff and tense because of whatever-his-name-is, and again because the class was all looking at her. She climbed up the steps to the table nearest to the top with an empty chair. There were only three left. "_Good_," she thought. But then she realized someone was still following her. Not quite so surprising, but definitely _irritating_. To no ends. She knew he was staying after he placed his books down on the table.

He smiled that smile again. "Welcome to Azumono High, Akane." This time he showed off his surprising white teeth. **Why** did he have to be such an ass?

"Welcome everyone," the teacher smiled. "It's great to see some new faces for a change..." she said, less enthusastically. Class had begun officially...but there was still one empty seat. Who could it be? Akane was being the stupid girl she was and hoped it was Sasuke. Like _that_ would ever happen.

She started to take roll call. Thank God she was starting with last names first. Akane would die if she were called on first every single day. She had just started to call someone's name when the door opened. It was very quiet, but somehow, it caught everyone's attention. Akane later realized why.

A cool figure stepped out of the doorway, very light with his steps, almost inaudible. "Sorry I'm late....Mrs. Kanagi. I... got caught up in doing something.... school related," he said, very relaxed-- not rushed at all. Even though he was late.

"Oh that's quite all right. You were only 2 minutes late. I won't count it against you," she smiled.

"Thanks." and that was all he had to say. Everyone watched as he climbed up the steps, stopped to look for a seat, spotted one, and finally sat down....and you guessed it. Right next to Akane. Akane couldn't believe what was happening. She tried not to look shocked; she simply held a pen in her hand hovering over a blank sheet of notebook paper; wordless. Like her. Nothing else seemed to matter. She couldn't even hear "that guy".

She was relieved nothing had happened. He didn't speak to her at all. That was good. But she heard him get out a notebook similar to hers, and she heard the click of his pen. And just like that, he was off to writing...something. Whatever it was, Akane couldn't stand not knowing, being the nosy person she was. But Akane had something of her own to write: Notes. Ugh.

She began the fresh sheet with her name in the top right corner, wondering if Sasuke saw. For some strange reason she felt like he already knew her name. Very strange.

"_A...ka...ne....Mi...ra....sa....ki_," she thought in her head, writing as she did so. She then wrote the class, the period, and the date. "_Hmm.... Chapter 1, I guess?_"

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something against her arm; it was the edge of Sasuke's notebook. He pushed it her way without looking back. He just kept staring forward, trying to look like he was paying attention. In truth, well, he was far from it. Paying much more attention to something _**else.**_

Akane got the notion. He was trying to exchange notes but in a more secretive way.

_Hi._

It didn't take her long to come up with a response.

Hello. I guess I should ask you why you're talking to me?

Akane pushed her notebook towards him now, doing the exact same thing Sasuke had done before. He read it and immediately started writing. It was like he had the whole conversation already planned out in his head.

_You seem like an interesting person. Is there anything wrong with that?_

Akane bit her lip.

No, there's nothing wrong with that. But really, in what way am I, a complete stranger, interesting to you? Really.

Again; she pushed, he wrote.

_Every way._

Akane was completely shocked at this response. "_Is he... is he __**stalking**__ me?_"

Okay, and that's not creepy in any way? You just made it straight to the top of my "Stay away from" list.

She wished she had went back to say something else, but something was driving her and she didn't know what.

_I find it very hard to stay away from someone as beautiful as you, Akane._

_"Stay away from" list? I didn't even know such a thing existed. I guess now it does. _

I can't honestly believe you when you say something like that when we've only just conversed.

Butyou really know how to drive a person crazy, don't you? I guess it can't be helped.

I think I know you from somewhere. Your name is Sasuke Uchiha, right?

_But it's true. I would never lie to you. To anyone._

_That's correct. I couldn't help but feel the same way. There is definitely a connection between us._

Akane paused, contemplating. She was trying to piece together the whole conversation. Was she acting too coldly towards him? After all, this could be her only shot at having a boyfriend such as Sasuke Uchiha. Now _**that's**_ a winner.

I would hope so.

Anyway, shouldn't you be taking notes? Biology isn't exactly a piece-of-cake, unless it is for you.

He laughed softly, and then wrote his answer.

_Hardly._

_I have more important things on my mind right now._

_What session of lunch do you have?_

What? A _normal _question?! Akane smiled to herself.

I have it after this period is over. This period ends at 12:39, so that would make it the 4th lunch session. Right?

I thought everyone who had Mrs. Kanagi for 3rd period got 4th lunch?

_They do. That's why I asked you._

Akane's features twisted. _"What is he getting at?"_

Suddenly, there were millions of eyes staring at them, and they stared back. A whole 20 minutes had passed and they were beginning to wonder why they had kept it going for so long. The fact is, they were both highly interested in each other. Akane already knew she liked him, but it was definitely not as surprising as Sasuke liking her back. If everything went well, then something might just happen--something good. Something amazingly good. If anything good came out of losing her home, her parents, and her life, then it would be Sasuke. He would be her sole purpose to live.

But the note passing was far from over. Sasuke still wanted to know more, to discover new things about his infatuation. Akane kept pretending to write Biology notes while she wrote actual notes. These would be more helpful in the future anyway.

_Pardon me for asking this, but... do you have a boyfriend?_

Akane was shocked, traumatized; she froze, waiting for some kind of motion. "Just blink and calm down," she told herself. "Now...what to write?"

...No, not right now. I don't want to get too involved in a relationship while I'm still in school. Otherwise, it's just a distraction.

Besides. If I break up with you I'll be sad and depressed and I won't be able to concentrate.

_Are you saying we couldn't work?_

_Aren't you willing to at least give it a try?_

I can't... you already have a girlfriend.

_Her? Please. That's just what people think when they see us together. We're not actually boyfriend and girlfriend._

So.... you're available?

_That's right._

_Interested?_

W-Well... I'm the new girl. What will people think when they see us together?

_They'll think exactly what they see. Are you afraid you'll become the number one enemy of every girl in this school?_

Of course I'm afraid... You know they'll try to kill me.

_Not without my permission. As long as you're with me, I won't let them lay a finger on you._

Akane's heart skipped a beat. Could this really be happening? It didn't feel right at all. Why did he want to protect her so much? There must be a reason for this. Akane knew there had to be something behind all these foreign words.

They decided it was high time the note passing ended, and that the paying attention part of class took place on some degree of consciousness. But to their disadvantage, the lecture had already ended, and independent study was going on. Akane looked around to see what page they were on; Akane hadn't even opened her book yet. Apparently, neither had Sasuke. She frowned, not wanting to ask the guy to her left for instructions. He had sensed Akane wasn't paying attention and needed help. Especially because she was just sitting there, looking around and fiddling with her thumbs. He half smiled and turned to her. "Need some help?" he whispered, still with that hint of arrogance in his voice.

Akane's eye twitched. "Yes..." she exhaled.

He watched her closely. He didn't want to let his jealousy be known; especially because "he" was sitting so near. He could tell there was something going on between the two of them; something he didn't want to get involved in. But another half of him was greedy and wanted Akane all to himself. He wanted something he couldn't have, in other words.

He decided it wasn't worth it to get worked up over something so trivial, and he let himself smile fully. "By the way, we're on page 20. It might help if you open your book first." he chuckled.

_"Idiot," _Akane thought viciously. It _was_ true, though. Feeling defeated, Akane reached into her bag and pulled out the bulky textbook with "Modern Biology" written on the front in big, bold letters. With a loud thump, Akane opened the textbook and flipped through the index and so on. She had gotten impatient and actually flipped a page too many, got even more frustrated and flipped back a couple pages, discovering she went back too far. She thought she might just die right then and there. What if she did? What would Sasuke think of her then? weak? defenseless? incompetent? Or something along the lines of "useless" and "amateur".

"What a pain..." Akane thought out loud.

He laughed.  
Once the book was open to the correct page, Akane looked at the questions they had to answer. Most of them didn't make sense at all. She looked around absent-mindedly, waiting for someone to help her, whether it be Sasuke (the preferred choice), or "Mr. Yet-To-Be-Named." She figured it was about time she asked him what his name was. Or maybe she didn't have to? Without making a scene of it, she quietly looked over to his paper. She saw no name, no date--nothing in the top right corner. She frowned. "_And I thought he wasn't smart."_

In the end, Akane didn't finish her homework. She was too shy to ask anyone around her for help. She wasn't worried about it like she usually would be; after all, Rei could probably help her with the assignment when she got home. She was more focused on Sasuke than anything else. In fact, it was the **only** thing she was thinking about. So much so that she ran into nearly half of the people that were already occupying the hallways.

As she entered the cafeteria, Akane noticed some familiar faces from her other classes, but she couldn't say they were the most welcoming faces. Again, those hateful stares were upon her. She continued on with a slow pace. Suddenly, Akane heard her name being called. She turned around and there was Rei, smiling brightly back at her.

"Hey!" she shouted cheerfully. "How's it going?"

Akane felt at a loss of words for a moment.  
"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Akane lied. "I'm doing alright. What about you?"  
"Eh. Not much different than you," she laughed.  
"Hmm... looks like all the tables are full," Akane frowned. "What should we do?"

"I dunno... Maybe we can eat outside?" Rei walked forward without warning. Akane had to run to keep up with her in that massive crowd.  
"If we can even find the exit," Akane joked.  
"Wait, I think I see one of my classmates from Physical Science. Maybe she'll let us sit with her?" And with that, Rei took Akane's hand and led her to the table which they were seeking. Akane protested about half the way there.

She seemed to be sitting by herself, in a far corner of the table with a couple other girls. She was not engaging in any conversation, though. She looked up when Rei and Akane stood beside her.

"Oh, you're that girl from Physical Science....Rei, was it?" she smiled. "There's seats for both of you. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

Akane sat down next to Rei and two seats away from the other girls, who were giggling and gossiping obnoxiously. They seemed to hush their tones once they saw Akane sit down at their table. She figured they must be talking about her. She tried to hide her face, considering she knew one of the girls from Biology.

"So, Akane," Rei began. "This is Naomi. Naomi, Akane."  
"Nice to meet you, Akane," Naomi said cheerfully, with a colorful smile on her face.  
"Nice to meet you too..."

Everyone just seemed like they were talking and not eating. Though the lines were long, Akane saw very few people with plates in front of them. Much less eating the food that was supplied. It made her very angry-- she was about to get up and find something for herself. Her stomach growled.

Very suddenly, the voices that engulfed the room in noise died out, and eventually stopped completely. Everyone was turning their heads to see what was going on. All of their hateful eyes were staring at him, at the fact there was no one walking behind or beside him. And the fact that he was walking toward the least populated table in the whole room. This person was not trying to make a scene. Neither had he planned on doing it in the first place. But he was curious enough, so he went for it.

"Hey."  
Akane looked up from her hands and opened her mouth to speak. Once her eyes adjusted, she froze, her mouth still open. It made him smile.

And they continued to stare, hateful still. But now, their stares seemed frightened. Why in the world would he speak to someone like that?

He was hesitant. He knew there were people listening in, trying to make up rumors and start fights. He could almost hear their thoughts about her. Those words were like daggers to his flesh. His lips pursed, and his handsome smile was no more.

And the chaos continued.

Rei barely recognized his presence, or rather she was trying really hard not to. This guy just got on her nerves. "Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could "borrow" her for a minute," he said, looking Akane's way. And...there's that smile again.

Rei's eyebrow twitched. "Why exactly? You could at least introduce yourself."

"That won't be necessary," he continued, still with his eyes on Akane. Still with _her_ eyes on her fingers.

Rei rolled her eyes. Just who was this guy? "Fine. I don't see why you're just asking her yourself." And with this, he drew his open hand towards Akane, leaning over a bit in a overly formal manner; something princes would do just before escorting their date to the ball. Akane reddened even further, figuring her dream must be over soon. She'd wake up with a cold sheen over her skin and that same rose color on her cheeks. She tried pinching herself and sure enough, it was real.  
_This is __**really**__ happening._

Akane finally gave up on resisting and took his hand lightly. He was still smiling, knowing she was nervous about it, and clearly she had no idea what was going on. When would he stop smiling? It was like it was plastered to his face.  
"This will only take a second," he announced to Rei, and maybe, to the whole room. After all, they were still listening.

Akane was getting worried. It could have been all the way at the top of the building, the 4th floor, but Akane wasn't sure. They went up many flights of stairs, still with her hand tightly locked in his. This hallway was dark and cryptic, almost like another world compared to the floors below, where people were "oh-so-happy" and "carefree". Akane always knew those kinds of people had breaking points. Some even comitted suicide because they were too pressured by their peers. Their parents were always expecting the best out of them and nothing less than that, and clearly, it's a tough job for one person to do. That's the world for you.  
He had a worried look on his face, like he'd started having second thoughts. "In there," he whispered to her.

Akane saw a door and soon enough she was being forced into it. It was the janitor's closet. Dark, cold, and foreign. She could only see his face moving closer to hers when the light suddenly vanished and they were inches away from each other. Akane couldn't control herself, what with her heart beating a thousand times per second. Her breathing was getting heavier and heavier, and she felt like her head was spinning. "_Don't you __**dare**__ pass out here!_" she told herself.

She could hear him breathing quite heavily as well, from running so fast. She could almost hear his heart beating out of his chest. Akane couldn't find the right words to explain why.

Suddenly, she could feel his hands on her shoulders, and his breath was louder than before. He was resting his head on her shoulder, really regretting his desicion. How stupid was he, to just come up to this girl he literally _died_ over when he saw for the first time and now, an hour later, in a closet much too small for comfort. The lunch bell rang. They were going to be very,_ very_ late to class.

"I'm sorry..." he barely whispered in her ear and pulled away a bit, his grasp tightening. It hurt her, to see him like this. From what she knew, he was the most popular guy in the school. The one that all the girls wanted. He had to keep his cool, calm, and relaxed demeanor at all times. But no one likes a fake, either.

Now, it almost _hurt_ to breathe.

He finally just took her face in between his hands and let out a deep sigh. "....Really. I am."

_Why are you apologizing?_

_And what for?_

_I feel like you know me a lot more than I think you do._

_I feel... different._

_But you feel the same. _

_Your eyes are still that same color, that same dark, depressing color._

_How did we reunite this way?_

_And how were we seperated?_

Bang.

It hit her too hard. She didn't even have enough time to anticipate its arrival. Or prepare her heart for it, anyway.

"Things like this just don't happen. They just _**don't. **_At least... not to a person like _me_."

Breathe.

He pulled away slightly, still not satisfied. He began to tremble. He didn't know what he was doing. He whispered softly to the girl in front of him, the one that had the same expression as he, one last apology before there were no more words to say. He could only hope she would understand and that all the happenings of that day were mistakes. Impulses. But now in this tight space, the light was so little that he felt the sight of her face would have killed him.  
And now for her to utter his name so delicately:

_"Sasuke..."_

She lost it.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Akane couldn't stop herself from crying. Instead, she let those unshed tears fall down her face. She didn't care if this offended him in the least. She had been wanting to cry those tears for ages. Her sobbing only intensifyed as she kept thinking about it all. Her voice became louder than she would have allowed herself. Sasuke tried his hardest to comfort her by holding her very close, and squeezing tight. All of what he was doing was probably too foreign for Akane to accept. But at this point, she really didn't care.

"I'm... just a burden..." Akane sniffed. "To you, I'm just...."  
His heart started to ache when she spoke it. A burden?  
Akane wanted to hear his voice in her ears. It would certainly block out the high-pitched blaring noises she was already hearing.

He didn't say anything. He _couldn't.  
_"Sasuke.... answer me.... I am, aren't I?" her strangled cries and sobs were sure to break through this barrier he tried so hard to keep. Akane was the impenetrable force trying to break his guard and find answers to all of these questions she had left unanswered.  
Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to breathe for a moment. "There's no way you could ever burden anyone," he whispered softly as he took his hand through her silky, soft, chocolate brown hair, and kissed her forehead. "You're being too hard on yourself."

Oh, how she wanted all of the pain to just _vanish. _


End file.
